December 21, 2015
Much of the extended life span of humans today can be attributed to the control of pathogenic microbes. As a result the promotion of health and attention on chronic disease is becoming the focus of health care. However, along the way we are discovering a new appreciation of the health benefits provided by much more abundant non-pathogenic microbes that evolved with us and make up about 2 % of our weight.
HOST:Â Thad Woodard, MD
GUESTS:Â
David R. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He is an internationally recognized geologist who studies landscape evolution and the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. Author of three award-winning popular-science books, he has been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a wide variety of TV and radio programs, including NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Fox & Friends, and All Things Considered. When not writing or doing geology, he plays guitar in the band Big Dirt.
Anne Biklé is a biologist whose wide-ranging interests have led her into watershed restoration, environmental planning, and public health. An engaging speaker on public health and the built and natural environments, she has also worked extensively with community groups and nonprofit organizations on environmental stewardship and urban livability projects. She spends her free time out in the garden with her hands on plants and dirt.
Links:
The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health
University of Washington book review
More about the human microbiome
lineone (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | About Dr. Woodard
